Chapter 15: Request from the Mayor
The third morning.
I went through my closet sliding door and then entered another world.
I walked through the market where there are still few people and headed to the house that the Mayor had lent me yesterday.
"Good morning, Shirou Onii-chan."
As I expected, Aina is an early riser.
I did my best to get here at 6:00 a.m. today, but she is already here.......
As a result of our discussion, we decided that the ten silver coins I paid Aina for her part-time job yesterday would be her "salary" this month.
Aina said that it was too much for a daily salary and that no adult in this town could earn 10 silver coins a month.
I said, "It's fine, it's fine," but Aina refused and said, "No, no, no".
So, we decided that she would work for 10 silver coins for a month as a compromise.
I am a bit nervous about opening a shop by myself, but with Aina's help, I'm sure it will be fine.
That's why I'll do my best from today.
"Good morning, Aina-chan. I think we shouldn't do any business today, we should clean the store. Can you help me?"
"Yes! Aina was planning to do the same. Here"
Aina shows me the bucket and cloth she had in her hand.
I see. So she is fully prepared.
She's really reliable for such a small girl.
"That's good, Aina-chan. You are very encouraging. Shall we open it?"
"Yes!"
I used the key given by the Mayor to enter the store.
The dusty air is tickling my nose.
The shop's interior is beautiful.
The store has a counter in the back and shelves on the left and right walls. It seemed like it would be ready for business as soon as it is cleaned and lined with products.
"First, open the window....... OK, let's clean it up."
"Oo!"
I raise my hand, and Aina does the same pose.
Then we start to clean up the house.
We used brooms to clean up the dust and then wiped the floor and shelves with wet cloths.
After we finished cleaning the first floor, we went to the second floor.
There were four rooms on the second floor, Aina and I cleaned them as well.
We didn't have any furniture, so we decided to get some when we had free time.
Then, around lunchtime, the store and the upstairs rooms were all clean and shiny.
"Huh........ So I guess that's it?
The store looks clean now.
Aina smiles at me.
At that moment...
"Excuse me."
Karen, the Mayor of the town, showed up.
"Wow ... it looks completely different now."
The cool and beautiful Mayor looked around the store and commented.
"Hello, Mayor-san."
"You can call me Karen."
"Then you can call me Shirou."
"Aina too, you can call me Aina."
"I see. OK, Shirou, Aina. Once again, I'm counting on you two."
Karen-san offered me a handshake.
Aina and I took turns shaking her hand.
"So, Karen-san, what brings you here today?"
"Oh. I brought you something today."
Karen-san took out a dish that looked like a sandwich from the basket in her hand when she said that.
"I hope it's to your taste. Please, eat if you don't mind."
"Thank you very much. Just in time when we are just hungry, aren't we? Let's eat, Aina-chan."
"OK!"
Aina and I take the sandwiches from Karen and put them in our mouths.
"Now, listen to me while you eat. I have a favor to ask from you today.
"A favor?
"Yes. Actually, the adventurer's guild inspector will be coming from the capital in ten days. At that time, Shirou, I want you to show the inspector the matches you're selling."
"That's fine, but.... is there any reason why I should show the inspector the matches?"
"There is."
Karen answered immediately.
"There's a forest near this town, and we discovered that there are some rare monsters there. A lot of adventurers have been coming to the city to hunt them. You know about this, right?
"Yes, I heard about it."
More than half of the customers at the market are adventurers.
The presence of adventurers has a great impact on the town's economy.
"Ninorich has never had an Adventurer guild branch because of its remote location. However, thanks to those monsters, there is a plan to set up an Adventurer Guild branch here. For the sake of the town's development, I really want them to set up a branch here in Ninorich."
According to Karen, if there is an Adventurer Guild branch in this town, most likely, the adventurers who use this town as their base of operations will settle here. The merchants will come for the adventurers and the materials.
When people gather, inevitably, money will also gather.
I think the Mayor really wants to encourage the Adventurer Guild to establish a branch in this town.
"I see. I understand your story.
In other words, you want the person who will come to visit Ninorich to think of it as a valuable town to adventurers more than just a monster's hunting field, right? You want to increase the possibility of having them create a branch here, even if only a little"
"Your quick understanding is very helpful. You are indeed a skilled merchant."
"I'm not good enough yet, you know. But I understand. I'll prepare some items that will make the inspector's heart beat faster."
"I'm sorry. I really owe you."
"It's OK. Don't worry about it."
"Still. Thank you, Shirou. Please forgive me for asking so much from you. I promise that I will repay your kindness one day in the name of the town Mayor."
"Don't worry about it. People live by helping each other. This is just the appropriate thing to do."
Karen-san rounded her eyes at my words.
"...... Really? You're very kind. Now, excuse me. I wish you good luck with your business."
After saying that, Karen left the store.
"Shirou Onii-chan, I hope the inspector will like our matches!"
"Yeah, I hope so."
I pat Aina's head.
The point is we just need to prepare tools that the inspector will like, right?
OK. I'll prepare various things besides the matches.
Now, what should I prepare?
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..... I'm to tired to create "NEXT>>>"
From now on, please help yourself and find the next episode in "Chapter List" page.
Thank you for the chapter!
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